Date: Sun, 7 Feb 2010 16:31:22 EST
From: Bwstories8@aol.com
Subject: Castaway Hotel: Grand Reopening - Book 4, Chapters 23-24
Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 23 -- The Fickle Month of May.
**Author's Note:** Please read the disclaimer in Chapter 00 before you read
this.
May started with a flurry of activity, much of which turned out to be mixed
blessings for the family. Shortly after Frankie and Dustin were notified
they had been accepted into their primary college of choice, Sammy informed
me he needed to talk to me -- alone. I wasn't sure what was up, but agreed
to do as he asked. However, I was busy fixing dinner and it was something
I needed to stay with and keep an eye on, so I asked if I could do this
after we ate. He agreed, but I could tell he wasn't happy about it.
Sammy seemed a bit testy for the next couple of hours, until I finally met
with him in my bedroom after dinner. As I closed the door behind us, I was
wondering what this was going to be about.
"Dad, do you think I'm dumb or something?" he asked me, quite seriously, as
soon as I turned around.
"Of course not, Sammy," I told him, slightly confused as to what he was
getting at. "You're a very bright young man."
"Then why do you treat me like a dumb little kid?" he shot back, yet still
I had no idea what he was talking about.
"What do you mean? I don't do that, at least I don't think I do," I told
him.
"Yes, you do," he insisted. "You act like I'm too dumb to know what the
other boys are doing and no one treats me the same way they do everyone
else." Suddenly, I knew where this was heading and hoped I hadn't already
blown it for him.
"I hear other boys in my school talk about things they do," he continued,
"and I see the way my brothers spend time with each other at night. I know
about sex, but nobody will do anything with me because they said you told
them Andrew and I can't be included. Why not?"
"Well, that was before, when I thought you weren't ready for such things,"
I admitted. "I know you're growing up and maturing, and I've even noticed
that your penis has grown longer and some hairs are sprouting above it, but
I didn't want the others to push you into anything until you were ready for
it."
"Well, I'm ready and I don't want to be left out any more," he demanded.
"Actually, Andrew and I have been trying things on our own, but I guess you
didn't know that."
"You have?" I asked, amazed. "No, I didn't know that either. I was hoping
to keep Andrew from getting involved in this too, since he's still quite
young and I'm worried there might be other issues he'd have to deal with
first, like what happened to him in Houston. So, when did you two start
fooling around and what have you done together?"
"We started a little while after that guy did those things to Andrew at the
Space Center," Sammy announced, surprising me even more. "At first we just
rubbed each other's wiener, but lately we've also started sucking on them
too."
"Is that all?" I asked, to make certain I knew what they'd been up to.
"Yeah, we haven't done anything else," Sammy confessed.
"Does Andrew feel the same way you do, about being able to do things with
the other boys?" I pressed, to determine how I should proceed from the
point forward.
"I don't think so," Sammy responded. "He doesn't seem to care if we do
anything or not. I think he just does it because I ask him to, but I don't
think he would have done anything if I hadn't wanted to do it first."
"Well, I can tell the other boys it's okay to include you in their
activities, if that's what you want," I agreed, "but I think we should
still try to leave Andrew out of it, at least for the time being."
"That's okay with me, but Andrew and I are together a lot, so it will be
hard," he admitted. "Won't he get suspicious if I suddenly start spending
time alone with the other boys?"
"Yes, I suppose he will," I concurred, "but it's possible I can get some of
the other boys to do non-sexual things with Andrew, whenever you get a
chance to do something with someone else. Would that be okay with you?"
"Yes, Dad, that sounds great," Sammy replied, suddenly glowing and looking
much less angry than he had a few minutes earlier.
"Was there anyone in particular you were thinking about doing things with?"
I asked, in order to get a sense of where he might be headed and whom he
might be attracted to. This simple question, however, caused Sammy to turn
a bright shade of red and look down at his feet, before he started moving
his right foot nervously, from side to side, while balancing his weight on
his left leg.
"Well, I was kind of hoping that Brent or Nick might want to do things with
me," he admitted. I chuckled and Sammy looked up at me, with a quizzical
expression on his face.
"I'm sure you won't have any trouble convincing Nick," I told him, "and I
think Brent might be interested as well. Do you want me to explain
anything to you first? I guess I probably should have done that already."
"Well, there are some things I want to know," he admitted, without telling
me what they were, so I was left to pry that information out of him.
Over the next forty minutes or so, I dragged many questions out of Sammy
and answered them as best I could. After everything was out in the open, I
also offered him a few words of advice. Once all of that was taken care, I
also took a little longer to make sure his foreskin retracted easily, as I
didn't want him to get hurt if someone inadvertently forced it free.
Things went fine, Sammy was happy and now I decided to fill the older boys
in concerning this change in direction.
Before I did it, however, I sent Sammy and Andrew upstairs to get ready for
bed, and then I rounded up the other boys for a quick briefing. I told
them Sammy was now allowed to be included in their activities, but nothing
anal yet. I told them if he brought that up, to tell him he needed to be
prepared for it first and they could do some fingering with him to keep him
satisfied. However, before they went any further, I wanted them to come
speak with me, so I could sit down and have another chat with Sammy
beforehand, to make sure he understood what he'd be getting into.
I also informed them that whenever they did something with Sammy, they
would also have to find someone to occupy Andrew for the evening, so Andrew
wouldn't get suspicious about what Sammy was up to. I also emphasized that
Andrew was still off- limits for the time being, but I'd let them know when
that situation changed as well. They all said they understood, so I went
to go back to what I was doing, but on the way out I decided to ask Nick
and Brent if I could speak with them first. They followed me to my bedroom
and looked worried they had done something wrong, but I reassured them
quickly.
"I just asked you two to join me because I think Sammy would like to have
his first experiences with one of you," I announced.
"Awesome," Nick cried out, almost immediately.
"Did he tell you that?" Brent asked, right after Nick's shout of joy.
"Yes, he did hint at it," I confirmed. "I think you boys are closest to
his age and more or less his type. Just be gentle with him, as he's new to
all of this, and remember -- nothing anal until I tell you differently.
Okay?"
"Sure," they both responded, and Nick walked back toward the family room
with a huge grin plastered across his face.
Nothing happened with Sammy until that weekend, when Sammy was invited to
spend Friday evening with Nick. Cole and Graham quickly volunteered to
entertain Andrew, so everything was set. I wasn't sure at first if it was
wise to have Nick give Sammy his first experience, but he turned out to
have been the perfect choice to teach Sammy the joys of boy-to-boy sex. I
was to learn from Sammy later that Nick showed a tenderness that belied his
promiscuity. Nick took Sammy to his room, both already naked after their
showers, and stood and admired this young neophyte.
"You know, I've been eyeing you for some time now," he told Sammy, which
caused Sammy to blush.
"Really? How come?" Sammy asked, because he didn't think he was very
desirable. After all, his penis wasn't very big and he didn't think he was
as handsome as most of his brothers.
"Because I've noticed that you're growing up and parts of your body are
growing too," Nick informed him, which cause Sammy to blush slightly again.
However, he was immensely pleased that Nick had noticed his blossoming
maturity.
"Yeah, it has been getting bigger, hasn't it?" Sammy asked, somewhat
proudly.
"Oh, yes, and it's very nice," Nick confirmed. "I'm glad Pop said it was
okay to do things with you now."
"Me too, but I had to tell him I wanted to first," he told Nick. "He still
thinks of me as a little kid."
"Well, we can definitely see you're not little any more," Nick told him,
rubbing his hand over Sammy's limp penis. The minute Nick touched it, it
began to spring to life and slowly stiffen. Eventually, it worked its way
upright, like an Indian fakir's rope climbing skyward in response to the
sounds of his flute. Before many seconds had passed, Sammy's dick was as
hard as an iron rebar and Nick was sliding his hand up and down the shaft,
slowly working the foreskin back and forth.
The new and exciting feelings Sammy was now experiencing sent him into an
almost trancelike state, as his very experienced partner demonstrated what
he had learned pleasing the many partners he had previously encountered.
Sammy's mouth dropped partially open and his eyes closed almost completely,
as his head tilted backward and began to sway from side to side with
pleasure. Nick suddenly started to worry that Sammy's legs might give out
due to the stimulation and he might fall and hurt himself, so he guided him
over to the bed and helped him lay down.
Sammy jumped slightly as his body began to tingle, when Nick fingers
touched his sensitive glans, which had been sheathed by his more than
abundant foreskin from nearly all outside stimulation before this moment.
Now that it was suddenly exposed to all kinds of new sensations, it caused
his young body to tremble, while Nick introduced him to the pleasures a
simple touch could bring. Nick also slowly massaged his scrotum and then
the full length of his shaft, and he rubbed his thumb over the exposed
helmet and tiny slit each time his hand reached the tip. Sammy was now
shaking with pleasure, moaning noticeably, and squirming beneath Nick's
expert ministrations. Just when he thought he couldn't take any more, Nick
delivered him to a new level of euphoria.
As he saw Sammy begin to quiver in enjoyment and anticipation, Nick lowered
his head and guided Sammy's rigid dick into his mouth. As he began to suck
on Sammy's bone, he also let his tongue roam freely around its surface. As
Nick did this, Sammy's body went rigid, his cock swelled and then it
twitched, as he experienced a very powerful dry orgasm.
Nick picked up on this immediately, but noticed that Sammy's little pole
never wilted, so he continued to suckle and bathe it with his saliva. This
caused Sammy to thrash around beneath him even more, with his young body
now on complete sensory overload, as he enjoyed every moment of what was
happening to him. Nick continued teasing him in this fashion, sliding his
lips up and down his rigid pole, letting his tongue toy with the flesh
within his mouth and adding even more suction, which caused Sammy to begin
squirming even more. He continued this way for a few minutes more, until
Sammy's testicles drew closer to his body, his penis expanded and he
experienced his second dry orgasm of the night. After this, Nick lay next
to him stroking his chest, kissing his face and allowing him to enjoy his
first real sexual high. After a few minutes of remaining like this, Sammy
finally turned toward Nick and spoke.
"Wow, that was super," he gasped. "Andrew and I have tried things a few
times, but he never made me feel like that. Thanks, Nick, that was really
great."
"I'm glad you enjoyed it, but we're not done yet," Nick advised him.
"We're not?" Sammy asked, startled.
"Nope, now you get to do it to me," Nick quipped, which caused Sammy to
smile. It wasn't until then that he realized he'd forgotten about
returning the favor and thought only about the pleasures he had just
enjoyed.
"Yeah, I knew that," Sammy acknowledged, somewhat guiltily. "I guess I
thought you meant you were going to do even more to me."
"Oh, I will," Nick boasted. "Maybe not all tonight, but there's a lot more
we can do together."
"Wow, I can't wait," Sammy gushed. "This has really been awesome and I
really want to do it to you too. I've never touched a wiener that wasn't
like mine before."
"Hold on there, Sammy. From now on, it's not a wiener," Nick advised him.
"That's what little kids call it. Now you call it a cock, or a dick or
penis. You're grown up now, and you no longer have a wiener or weenie."
Sammy blushed at the mild scolding, but he understood what Nick was telling
him. "I'm sorry," he apologized.
"No, you don't have to be sorry, we've all done the same thing," Nick told
him. "It's just that if you want to be treated like a man and not a little
boy, then you have to start talking like a guy in high school, not a kid in
grade school."
"Oh, okay. I see what you're saying," Sammy agreed. "Maybe that's why Dad
didn't think I was ready for this yet. I guess you're right, Nick, and
I'll watch what I say from now on. Thanks."
"Hey, that's okay. That's what big brothers are for," Nick told him,
before giving Sammy a hug. Both boys smiled at each other and then hugged
again. "Now, why don't you try doing the same things to me," Nick coaxed
him.
Sammy didn't need any further invitation and slowly reached over and
started touching, then holding and finally rubbing Nick's limp penis. Nick
watched him closely and got a kick out of Sammy's fascination with his
slightly larger and cut cock, noticing how the younger boy stared at it,
ran a finger across the slight scar from his circumcision and then stroked
his finger across Nick's less sensitive head. After a few minutes of
continued investigation, Nick finally urged Sammy into stroking his now
hard member and Sammy eagerly jumped to the challenge.
Sammy began by letting his small hand glide up and down Nick's longer and
thicker shaft for a few minutes and then leaned forward, so he could lick
the mushroom head. After he did that, he looked up to see the older boy's
reaction, only to discover that Nick had his eyes closed, but there was a
satisfied smile on his face. Finding this enough encouragement to
continue, Sammy bent back over the rigid pole and opened his mouth as wide
as it would go, so he could take Nick's stiffy into his hot little opening.
This penis was much larger than Andrew's little prick and Sammy gagged, as
he tried to take too much, too fast. He pulled back a little and then
began again, until he was bobbing up and down on Nick's firm member, doing
his best imitation of what Nick had done to him. Being inexperienced,
Sammy let his teeth scrape against the sides of Nick's dick now and again,
but Nick decided not to say anything to him about it, as he didn't want to
stifle his enthusiasm or make him feel he was doing an inferior job. He'd
wait until later, when they did it again, before he offered him any tips on
how to do a better job.
Regardless of the minor flaws in his technique, Sammy was soon bringing
Nick to the brink of orgasm. Realizing that Sammy was new to this, Nick
decided it might be best if he didn't shoot into Sammy's mouth the first
time. Therefore, he looked down at the younger boy and spoke to him in
raspy breaths.
"I'm gonna shoot…" he warned him. "Pull off… use your hand to pump
it… if you don't want a mouthful."
Somewhat confused by the request, Sammy pulled his mouth off of Nick's
organ and used his little fist to pump it up and down. Just a few seconds
later, strings of cum exploded from Nick's penis and covered his chest.
Sammy was in awe, as this was the first ejaculation he had ever seen.
"Wow, that was great," Sammy gushed. "How come I didn't do that?"
Nick was out of breath and didn't answer right away, but when he did, he
tried to be tactful about it. "It's because you're body is just starting
to go through the big change," he advised him. "You're cock has started to
get longer, you getting a few hairs over top of it and soon you balls will
start producing sperm, like mine do."
"So that's what sperm is," Sammy mused. "I've heard other boys talking
about it and about shooting, but I never understood what they meant. Heck,
I didn't even realize it would be white or shoot out of your dick in spurts
like that either. I though it would be clear, look like pee and come out
in a small stream."
Nick giggled inside, but made sure Sammy didn't pick up on his amusement
concerning his sexual naiveté. "Nope, it's kind of a pearly white for
almost every boy when he shoots, maybe sometimes a yellowish white, but
you'll be seeing a lot more of that now. When you first start shooting it
can be clear for a while, but eventually it starts looking creamy."
"I think it's pretty neat. Can I touch it?" Sammy asked.
"You can touch it, play with it or even taste it if you want," Nick told
him.
"Taste it!" Sammy replied, startled by the pronouncement. "Have you ever
tasted it?"
"Sure, all the time," Nick giggled, while running his finger through the
sticky liquid and gathering up a small amount, so he could stick it in his
mouth. "Every guy's cum tastes a little different, you know," he added.
"Really? How come?" Sammy wondered.
"I guess it has to do with what he eats, drinks and even if he smokes,"
Nick told him.
"You mean you've tasted other guys' stuff when they shoot too?" Sammy
asked, totally astounded.
"Of course," Nick chuckled. "It's also called cum or jizz. The guys I'm
with usually just shoot it into my mouth when I suck them off and then I
swallow it. I'll do the same for you, when you can shoot too." Sammy
nodded his understanding and then placed his own finger in the small pool
on Nick's stomach, scooped up a sample and stuck it into his mouth. He
made a little face, but didn't seem to mind the taste too much.
"Well, what do you think of it?" Nick asked him.
"It's okay, a little bitter, but I don't mind it," Sammy replied.
"Well, maybe next time I'll just shoot it in your mouth then, if you want
to try that?" Nick encouraged him.
"Yeah, that would be okay," Sammy said with a grin, and then thought for a
second before he spoke again. "How come you didn't do that this time?"
"Well, I didn't know if you were ready for that yet," Nick confessed. "I
didn't think it would be fair to do it to you unless you told me you wanted
me to, and we'd never talked about it before."
"Yeah, I guess I would have been surprised if you did that," Sammy
admitted. "Thanks for letting me make the choice."
I understand it only took them a few more minutes before they decided to do
everything for a second time, except this time there were fewer surprises
and more enjoyment, at least for Sammy. Nick did him first again, in order
to give his own body a chance to recuperate, but this time Nick did a whole
lot more to the novice, such as sucking on his nipples, sucking his
testicles and licking his thighs and perineum, before giving Sammy another
blowjob. Once again, Sammy had a dry orgasm, but they both realized it
probably wouldn't be very long before Sammy was able to shoot his own load.
This time, when Sammy returned the favor, Nick let his ejaculation go into
the younger boy's waiting mouth and Sammy swallowed all of it, enjoying the
slightly sweeter taste of this thinner and less voluminous second offering.
After their final encounter of the night, they went to sleep, entangled in
each other's arms and lingering in the memories of this very special time
together.
Castaway Hotel -- Grand Reopening -- Book 4 by BW
Copyright 2009 by billwstories
Chapter 24 -- The Sun Shines Bright On the Old Josh Currie Home.
As it worked out, the next day was Danny's seventeenth birthday party.
Although I had made plans with him in advance, the day still seemed to
sneak up on us, so now I worked hard to make sure everything was ready for
his big day. It seems like only yesterday when Sally brought over a
confused and lonely young man who had been tossed out of his home by his
father for doing nothing more than being who he was. He had lived on his
own for a few days, before being discovered by the authorities and
delivered to my home, becoming the second of my new sons.
When Danny and I had discussed what he wanted to do for his big day, he
quickly announced that he only wanted our family at his party, which of
course included Aunt Sally, Aunt Mary, Uncle Steve, the Curtises (Jay's
parents) and the Spences. I think he was disappointed Brandon's parents
couldn't make it, since they now lived in Texas, because they was growing
very close to each other and Danny was very fond of them.
Since Danny had requested a barbecue, I happily got everything ready so I
could prepare the meal outside, but we ended up eating the food indoors.
Unfortunately, it was very windy out and also quite cool, so we elected to
make the best of an imperfect situation. After we ate, we sat around and
talked for a while, enjoying each other's company. About an hour after
we'd finished our meal, Danny announced he had something he'd like to say.
"I know some of you are aware of this already, but the rest of you may be
shocked by what I am about to say. However, I think it's finally time to
clear the air. After thinking about it very carefully and talking it over
with Brandon, we want you all to know that he and I are gay. Not only
that, but we intend on being lifelong partners."
There was a tentative hush, as those of us who previously knew this fact
considered the ramifications of what they were doing, while the other
adults looked at each other and then back at the boys. Most of those
gathered were already sporting smiles of approval and I suspect some of
them may have even figured this out for themselves long before Danny broke
the news. I believe that might also have been the reason this revelation
hadn't shocked anyone or drawn any animated or adverse reactions, which
seemed to surprise both Danny and Brandon.
As the boys waited for the other shoe to drop, Sally soon broke the uneasy
silence that followed. She chose her words carefully and then proceeded to
explained to everyone gathered about my grand aspirations, when I first
decided to take in foster children. She said that although I had offered
to take in any child in need of a helping hand, I felt my greatest impact
would be with gay youth, who were often treated like lepers and outcast
from the rest of society. She continued by informing everyone that my hope
was to help the gay youth adjust to his orientation and find a way to fit
into society as easily and seamlessly as possible.
As she spoke, I glanced around and noticed a few nods of understanding from
both my friends and my sons, as they digested Sally's revelation. Although
Sally admitted she hadn't shared this information with anyone before,
mainly because I didn't want anyone to perceive us differently due to this
information, she did informed the boys the other adults had their
suspicions about some of them and had discussed this possibility amongst
themselves at various time. However, she went on to explain that even
though they might have had their suspicions about their sexual orientation,
none of them really cared about such minutia and loved each of them
unconditionally. To them, all that mattered was the boys were wonderful,
intelligent and caring young men who would be a great asset to society and
future generations. She concluded by saying that every adult there was
more than willing to continue to love and support the boys as they always
had, regardless of what announcements any of them made in the future.
When Sally finished speaking, Steve and Mary added their own words of
support, telling the boys they'd never change their opinions of them
because of whom they loved and hoped every one of them, gay or straight,
would be happy with their situation, partners and lives. The boys did look
apprehensively at the Spences, since they weren't sure how they might
react, since older people were generally less accepting of non-traditional
sexual orientations than the younger members of society. However, they
were soon relieved when Mrs. Spence spoke up.
"This really doesn't come as a big surprise to us," she announced, while
looking around at all the boys expectant faces. "John and I have both
noticed how the two of you look at each other and how you act when you're
together, so we kind of guessed the rest. Although we weren't brought up
around such things, we would never allow such knowledge to affect how we
feel about you. You are as much a part of our family as we are a part of
yours, and John and I are happy for both of you, since you obviously love
each other very much. Just take good care of each other and have a long
life together, such as John and I have been able to share, and always find
comfort in knowing your family will always be here to support you. That
goes for the rest of you too," she added, before sitting down, to let the
other boys now they had no reason to hide such important information from
any of us.
After hearing her little speech, both boys dashed over and hugged their
surrogate grandparents, while thanking them for being so open-minded and
supportive. I don't think there was a dry eye in the house as we had
listened to Margaret speak or observed the reaction that followed. Even
Andrew understood the significance of what had just taken place and beamed
with the knowledge that those closest to him wouldn't judge him because of
such things as whom he loved or that he was a different race than them.
After the boys and the Spences finished their hugs, Mary broke the silence
that followed and asked the question that was foremost on her mind.
Although their orientation didn't bother her, she was confused about the
timing of this announcement. She wanted to know why Danny and Brandon had
decided to come out now, instead of waiting until they left for college or
even after they graduated from college and were on their own. Danny
quickly answered this for her.
"Well, we're not going to tell our friends until the last week of school,
but we felt we should do it now, because of the Boy Scout thing. We hoped
our coming out might help others who might also be gay. We only have one
more year before graduating from high school, and we thought everyone would
talk the topic out over the summer, so it would be old news by the time we
went back to school for our senior year. We figured we'd have enough to do
to keep us busy then, and we could put up with whatever problems the others
might give us. Brandon and I are boyfriends, and we plan on being together
always. We've both been accepted to a couple of colleges, and since we
applied to the same ones, there's a good chance we'll be together for
another four years. I'm really glad none of you are upset about this,
because I think both Brand and I were worried about how you were going to
react."
Everyone assured them the news didn't change their minds about them and
they'd always be there for them. I think this took a big burden off both
of their shoulders.
Once the adults had their say, their brothers were quick to inform them
that they'd support and defend them too, if need be. "Don't worry, guys,"
Frankie announced, "if anyone hassles either of you between the time you
make your announcement and the time I leave for college, they'll have to
answer to me about what they say or do."
"And that goes for me too," Dustin added. "We'll protect you even better
than we did Shannon, when the scouts ganged up on him."
We all had a little chuckle over that, and then Brandon and Danny thanked
everyone again for their support. They told them they had all kind of
hoped for this type of response, but it was still nice to know it was what
actually happened. With that behind us, we went ahead and had cake and ice
cream, while Danny opened his presents. All in all, it was a very nice
party.
Just before she left, Sally said she had something to tell us too. "I
almost forget this, with Danny and Brandon's announcement and all, but I
heard from the Beckers and they've told Richard they'd like to adopt him,
if he wanted them to. Of course, Richard was thrilled and accepted
immediately. So this makes Richard and the Beckers our first
charity-assisted adoption."
"Yes," Steve added, "and a lawyer friend of mine is handling the legal work
for them, pro bono of course, and their case should be on the docket by
early June." We were all pleased by this great revelation, so I felt it
was the perfect time to make my announcement too.
"Well, I might as well tell the rest of you my news too, then," I began.
"I've been working with my lawyer and I'll be legally adopting Frankie and
Brent soon, if they agree to it." Both boys looked shocked, but then began
nodding their heads eagerly, so there would be no mistake they agreed. "If
Steve can pull a few stings for us, maybe we can have our adoptions
formalized at the same time as Richard's."
"That's a splendid idea," Steve shot back. "I'll see what I can do and I'm
almost positive the same judge that stood in for me on your last round of
adoptions will also be the one to handle these. He's a really nice guy and
was quite impressed with all of you the last time he was here. I'm really
glad you made that suggestion, Josh, because it will make both events even
more special."
"Hey, I'm beginning to feel left out," Nick announced.
"Me too," Brandon added. "We're the only two who live here that aren't
really family now."
I went over and gave both of them a hug. "What do you mean you're not
family?" I challenged. "You have been and always will be considered my
sons too, even if it isn't done legally. However, I want both of you to
consider yourselves lucky that you have wonderful and supportive parents
who love you… almost as much as I do," I teased. "No matter what,
you'll also always have a home with us, so don't ever worry about that.
Besides, Brandon," I added, a bit playfully, "it looks as if you will
become my son-in-law one day soon."
Everyone laughed at that comment, while Brandon acknowledged it was true,
and then he thanked me for letting him stay with us after his parents
moved. I told him it was my pleasure, and then each gave me a hug of
appreciation. While this was going on, Frankie and Brent joined in, making
it a group hug.
"Thanks, Dad," Frankie told me. "I know I don't really deserve any of
this, but it is what I've been secretly hoping for. I thought it was a bit
much to expect and knew I didn't deserve it, after all of the terrible
things I did when I first came here."
"What do you mean, you don't deserve this?" I asked him. "Sure we had some
problems at one point, but that's behind us now and all has been forgiven.
You are a fine son and I'm proud to have you as a part of my family." Then
I did something I had never done to Frankie before, but felt the time was
right. I leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. He looked up at
me, with a shocked expression on his face and tears forming at the corners
of his eyes. Suddenly he lifted up his arms, threw them around my neck and
shoulders, and gave me the most powerful hug he was capable of. When he
finally broke it, he kissed me on the cheek and thanked me again, and I
could tell this had been a very emotional catharsis for him. However, it
wasn't over yet, as Frankie began to address his brothers.
"I know I've been pretty hardheaded in the past and done some pretty stupid
things, like throwing that party and stealing from you guys, but you've
always given me a chance to prove myself to you, even if I didn't deserve
it," he told them, before turning toward me again. "Sometimes I didn't
think you liked me as much as the others, because you were never as
affectionate with me as you were with the younger ones. I know now it was
probably because I always tried to act so tough and that probably made you
think I didn't want that kind of attention, but I'm not really as tough as
I tried to make everyone believe. I always wished I could think of a way
to let you know how much I appreciated what you were doing for me, but even
more I wanted to figure out how to let you know I really loved you. That
kiss meant an awful lot to me and now I know you DO love me as much as the
others. Thanks, Dad."
Frankie hugged me again, and when I looked up at the others, I saw teary
eyes and tear streaked faces among those watching us. As many times as I'd
worried how Frankie would respond if I'd made an affectionate slip like
that, I'd belatedly discovered he was just a scared little boy who cloaked
himself in tough guy persona, just to keep from getting hurt. No matter
how much bravado he could muster, I now understood he wanted AND needed my
affection, maybe even more than the others.
When Frankie finally released me again, I felt another pair of arms around
my waist, so I looked down to see who was there. It was Brent. When he
eventually lifted his head up and looked in my direction, he flashed me a
huge grin. "I really want to thank you too, Pop," he added, "but does this
mean I can now start calling you Dad?"
"That's up to you, Brent," I told him. "You may call me Dad or you may
still call me Pop. The choice is yours, but I won't love you any less
either way."
"Well, if you're going to be my dad and these guys are going to be my
brothers, then I'm going to start calling you Dad," he announced,
gleefully.
Once all of the commotion finally started to die down, we received
congratulations from each of the others who were there. My boys told me
that they knew I was going to do it, they just didn't know for sure when,
but they thought it was a good idea to do it when Richard got adopted too,
so they could see him get his family. Everyone seemed satisfied, so now
all we had to do was learn the date this would take place.
The euphoria from that day lasted well after the party and the next couple
of weeks were filled with many other activities that enriched our lives.
During that time, Sammy got his chance to have some fun with Brent and
excitedly repeated the lessons he had learned from Nick. After they had
their time together, Sammy came to thank me for allowing him to participate
with the others and explained how wonderful it had been. I just smiled and
told him he was welcome, but he was to come see me whenever he had any
questions or concerns and not let them build up until he was ready to
explode. I also explained that I'd also schedule some time alone with him,
so I could fill him in on some of the things I had already told his
brothers, concerning their activities. He said he'd like that and it was
nice to see I had my happy-go-lucky Sammy back again.
The following week, the boys began preparing for their final tests and the
end of the school year. It was also a very busy time for me, as I tried to
keep my students under control and prevent them from getting too carried
away with the special year-end activities. It's easy for them to act as if
school was out a week or two before it actually happened, especially for
the eighth graders who were spending their final days at the middle school,
so the faculty and I worked hard to keep them busy and in check.
In addition to everything else, I was also conducting driving lessons for
Frankie and Kevin and making sure they were getting in plenty of practice
time in. Even though their six months wouldn't be up until September, I
wanted to make sure they got in as much driving time as we could arrange,
so they'd be ready for their big day. It was actually a bit easier for me
this time, as I just followed the lessons I'd planned for the other group,
and I was also feeling more at ease in my role as driving instructor.
Either because of or despite those facts, both boys were doing quite well
adapting behind the wheel and I wasn't worried about either passing his
test. Frankie was already fairly accomplished behind the wheel, due to his
time illegally on the road, and Kevin would be taking Drivers Education
class in the fall, to reinforce what I taught him up to that point.
We also had a great deal going on with the Boy Scout issue during this
period, which took up even more of my free time. The United Way had
finally acknowledged that those contributors who withheld their final
payroll contributions had hurt them quite badly and we projected there
would be a minimum of a 40% drop in contributions in their next drive, but
it could go as high as 55 or 60%, if things didn't change. That meant the
United Way was also getting nervous about their future and working
feverishly to stem the tide of the backlash against them, without having to
sever their funding of the Boy Scouts. Although they suggested
contributors could mark their donations to indicate their money couldn't be
used for certain organizations, we knew this was a meaningless gesture, as
the funding amounts to the various organizations wouldn't change in the
end. I think we had found their Achilles heel -- their bank accounts.
Although my boys had not been extremely active in the Scouts, many had been
members at one time or another, mostly before they had come to live with
me. Now they asked me to help them find a way to make a statement to show
how they felt, something that would be significant and not just a
meaningless gesture. After discussing this at a meeting or two with our
committee, we came upon an idea they liked and one that we felt would have
a significant impact. My boys, along with several other young men who felt
just as strongly about this issue, were going to go to the local Boy Scout
headquarters and turn in their merit badges and other awards they had
earned over the years. Not only that, but I'd arrange for several
newspapers, and the national magazines that had published the articles on
our family and the charity, to also cover this protest. They agreed, so we
made it a media event.
Several pictures of the boys turning those items in appeared in the local
papers, and were later published in the magazines, which spread our
concerns beyond the boundaries of our small community. Before long, six
adjoining counties had similar movements going, and the Boy Scouts were
beginning to feel the pinch from continuing their bigoted policies. During
the final school board meeting, the board approved a resolution restricting
the Scouts from using any school facilities for their meetings, activities,
fund- raisers or other social events, until their policies fell in line
with the ones the district supported.
If that weren't enough, some of the more liberal churches in the area also
limited their support and denied the Scouts access to their facilities, so
now the Scouts were even hurting for anyplace they could use for their
meetings and other activities, other than their Scout leaders' homes. Now
that the money was drying up and the welcome mats were disappearing, we
were bringing our point home, at least locally.
The next big event on our calendar was Pat's eye appointment, but
unfortunately it got moved back a week because of an emergency that came
up. That situation required the personal and immediate attention of Doctor
Bailey, the renowned ophthalmologist who we were lucky to be able to see,
but in the long run the change worked to our advantage. Pat's appointment
was on Friday and Mark was scheduled to fly in the following day, so now I
wouldn't have to make trips on consecutive weekends.
Finally, the big day came and we set off for his office in Philadelphia.
As we started out, I know I was praying, and I suspect Pat was too, that
Doctor Bailey might be able to find some way to help him. The ride turned
out to be very relaxing, as it was just the two of us this time, and Pat
talked about everything that came into his mind, except what might happen
at his appointment. I guess he was just too nervous to think about such
possibilities and tried to distract himself by talking about everything
else that was going on. By the time we reached the office, Pat was just
about talked out anyway.
I led Pat to the reception area using the same technique we had followed
everywhere else we went together. I would walk along, with him holding my
arm, and I'd tell him about anything out of the ordinary in our path. Pat
once told me he really appreciated how we had done this, because he never
felt like a blind kid when we went out, just a guy going somewhere with his
father. I understood the full implications of what he was telling me and
that simple comment was more valuable than a pile of gold.
Anyway, we went into the doctor's waiting area, where I filled out the
typical first visit paperwork, and then we waited to see our potential
miracle worker. It really wasn't very long before we were being led down a
hallway, directed into an examination room and told the doctor would be
with us shortly. Pat was visibly more nervous now, realizing he was near a
final determination of what fate held in store for him, but I reminded him
that he'd be no worse off than we already assumed. He thought about my
comment for a minute, while running all the possibilities over in his mind.
Finally, he turned his head in my direction, took a deep breath and smiled.
"I guess you're right. It can't get any worse than always being blind," he
agreed. "I guess whatever the doctor tells us will be no worse, but
possibly better than what we've already heard." After confiding that, he
calmed down and waited quietly next to me until Doctor Bailey arrived.
The doctor was a very friendly and easy-going man, who quickly informed us
he had talked with the director of the school for the blind and learned how
much our organization was willing to do for the students there. He thanked
us for all we had already done, as well as what we were still planning to
do for those children, before he told Pat he hoped he could be as much help
to him, as Pat had been to the school.
Pat played it cool and didn't get too excited about the doctor's comment.
Instead, he told Doctor Bailey he felt very fortunate to belong to a loving
and supportive family and then added he was pleased we were in a position
to help those less fortunate than ourselves. He informed the doctor that
although he was hopeful his sight might be restored, he wouldn't be
disappointed or upset if he found out it wasn't possible. Doctor Bailey
told him that was a very mature attitude to take, but promised he'd do
whatever he could to give him at least some sight back.
The examination was very thorough and took quite a few minutes to complete.
The doctor examined every square millimeter of Pat's eyelids and the skin
surrounding his eyes, before examining they eyeballs extensively as well.
Once that had been completed, the doctor asked Pat to perform several small
tasks, like looking up or to one side or the other, and then asked Pat a
series of questions about the types of things he'd experienced since the
accident. After evaluating what he had seen, the doctor looked at us and
gave us his prognosis.
"I understand why your doctor told you what he did, because your eyes took
quite a beating from the acid. I'm afraid there isn't any hope for the
right eye, as that one was the most severely damaged in the accident, but I
also agree with what your other doctor told you about your left eye too.
You may have some limited vision in that eye in the future, but I've
noticed a few things I think your other doctor either failed to notice or
interpreted incorrectly. I also believe I've noticed something he missed
altogether. In looking at your left eye, I've observed the damage is
minimal in certain areas, while more severe in others. Due to the fact
that most of the eye received minimal damage, I've concluded we could
replace your cornea, which was the most severely effected region, and
possibly restore nearly full vision to it. The corneal transplant is not a
guarantee, but you won't be any worse off if we give it a try."
Pat began to beam after hearing this encouraging news, but he was still too
nervous to ask the doctor questions about the procedure. I suspected he
was worried the doctor's answers would indicate the news wasn't as
encouraging as he first hoped. Finally, I took the initiative and posed
some questions of my own, hoping it might answer the questions Pat was too
timid to pose and reinforce the glimmer of hope he was clinging to.
"Doctor Bailey, when you said you might be able to restore Pat's vision,
did you mean back to 20/20?"
"I'm not sure if I can restore it to what he had before the accident and it
may be something a bit less than that, but if I'm successful, your son will
be much better off after the operation, than without it. I'd even go as
far to say that however much vision we could restore could be improved even
more with corrective lenses, so Pat would be able to lead a normal and
productive life and wouldn't have to depend on others for any form of
assistance."
"Fair enough," I replied. "So, how soon do you think it might be before
you could perform this miracle?"
Dr. Bailey flashed me a strange look, but then answered. "I'd have to
check on the availability of a suitable cornea, but I would guess we could
most likely be set to go ahead with it in a month or so."
"Really? That quickly, huh?" I was quite surprised. "I thought it would
take a bit longer than that."
"We're not doing a complete eye transplant, just the cornea," he told me.
"That means we have a few more options available to us, so it's not as
complicated or difficult to prepare for."
"That's terrific," I agreed. "We'd be pleased if you could set up the
procedure as soon as it's convenient for you. All you'll need to do is let
us know when we should return. I'll have Pat here the minute you're ready
for him."
The doctor smiled and assured us he would, so we both thanked him and left.
As we made our way back to the car, I realized Pat was somewhat giddy from
the news that he might get his vision back, at least in one eye. Once we
got in the car, he began to talk excitedly. "Do you think it will really
happen, Dad? Do you really think I'll be able to see again, at least a
little?"
"Pat, he's one of the best doctors in his field," I assured him. "If he
says it's possible, then I'd bet the farm on it."
"What do you mean by that, Dad?" Pat asked, hearing a colloquialism he was
unfamiliar with. Knowing he didn't understand what I meant not only made
me feel badly, but it also made me feel old.
"It means I believe so strongly about what he told us that I'd even be
willing to bet all of my money on it," I explained. After telling him
that, I just looked in his direction, realizing our generations had much
different ways of saying and interpreting things. After a few minutes of
silence, Pat spoke again.
"You know, Dad, we should also do something to let people know how
important organ donations are," he urged. "I never thought about it until
now, and not just because of my eyes, but what if someone needed a heart,
lungs, kidney or liver? There're a lot of things that could be donated,
and I bet most people never thought about doing anything like that. I know
I didn't."
"You're probably right, Pat, so we should try to see if we can do something
to change that situation," I agreed. "Maybe we could talk some other
groups into helping us promote organ donor awareness and then try to get
people to sign organ donor cards. I think you've come up with another
wonderful idea, and once again it's something that will benefit others.
Whether you realize it or not, you've just opened one more window for
others in need."
I could see him smile after I told him that, but he didn't say anything
else, knowing we both understood what was meant by that last exchange. I
truly believed God has been using him for some valuable purposes, turning
his tragedy into triumphs for others and using Pat to restore hope to those
with little left. I'm glad he feels the same way about what happened to
him and is using his strength to positively affect the situation, rather
than mope around and feel sorry for himself.
E-mail responses to the stories, story suggestions, or other 'constructive'
comments or advice may be sent to: bwstories8@aol.com - but please put the
story title in the subject line, so it doesn't get deleted as junk mail.